Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed...

[RonBoyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkinwood As the "little guy", we have a lot more control over our destiny than in any other period in civilization. And in the US, we have better control than in the majority of countries around the world.

Do you have evidence to support this theory?

[walkinwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonBoyd Do you have evidence to support this theory?

In an anecdotal way, yes.
Under most monarchies (the real ones, not the titular monarchies of today), the common man didn't have much of a say in anything. Same goes for dictatorships.
Even under democracies, not everyone enjoyed the same rights - and that holds true from ancient Greece to the US in the mid-60s. The Americans with Disabilities act was passed only in 1990. Gays & Lesbians are still fighting for equal rights in the US. Some countries are ahead of us in some of these aspects, but many are behind.

[RonBoyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkinwood In an anecdotal way, yes. Under most monarchies (the real ones, not the titular monarchies of today), the common man didn't have much of a say in anything. Same goes for dictatorships. Even under democracies, not everyone enjoyed the same rights - and that holds true from ancient Greece to the US in the mid-60s. The Americans with Disabilities act was passed only in 1990. Gays & Lesbians are still fighting for equal rights in the US. Some countries are ahead of us in some of these aspects, but many are behind.

Anecdotally it sure doesn't seem, to me, like the individual has much control over his/her "destiny." It seems more like -- listening to everyone screaming at everyone -- that, individually, we are just a leaf in the wind. Eventually, we will end up somewhere as a society (take a world-view here) but I doubt that it will be the result of any individual's action -- certainly not mine.

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyounge1956 by the idea of all the things which can potentially affect your life drastically for the worse, but over which you have little or no influence?

It's an old book but still very relevant and an excellent read or to listen to - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Habit 1 is to be proactive and try to influence only those areas that are within your ability to influence, and not to sweat the big stuff that concerns you but over which you can have no influence.

[rescueme]

Compared to the last 60 years of my life, I must admit that this is "the best time of my life" (I'm currently 62).

This is related to my personal life situation, of which I will not share on a public forum.

Just to give a little "hope" to those that think that today is "hopeless" ...

[ls99]

Has happened a few times.

I always remember the guiding story of: When you're up to your a$$ in alligators, it is difficult to remind yourself that your initial objective was to drain the swamp.

To remember and act is a must, and that always have pulled me through. Visualizing the situation can be comical and helpful. Think of all the snapping jaws.

[Bimmerbill]

I'm learning to "let it go." I'm also trying to learn new thought patterns to help out. Instead of always focusing about the worse that can happen, I try to weigh the odds more. Prepare for the common things, and don't worry about the catastrophic things.

I am still a planner, but have some loose plans and am working on my flexibility.

Gotta with DD 4 years old!

[BunsGettingFirm]

My job unfortunately is to worry about every possible thing that can go wrong in both humans and technology. Thank goodness I have a great former lab manager as a partner now that she's taken a job to step back from her previously even more pressure cooker of a job, so at least I get to pass off the worries to her from time to time. Thank goodness.

How does this translate to my ER dreams? I know technically I'm doing OK by a lot of objective measures, but for my mind, I'm not 100% at ease even with a 3rd world retirement plan just yet.